Improvement in folding chairs



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

GFMOALEER. Folding-Chair.

No. 196,688. Patented Oct. 30,1877.

' N \LTLEEEES- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. MOALEER. Folding-Chair.

No. 196,688. Patented Oct. 30, I877.

N *LTLEEEEB UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE MGALEER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,688, dated October 30, 1877; application filed July 21, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, GEORGE MCALEER, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Rocking-Chairs, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a folding rocking-chair which shall be simple and durable, and not liable to get out of order, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and.

use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which-- 4 Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved folding rocking-chair unfolded or opened out ready for occupancy. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same folded for storage or transportation. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views, showing a modification of the construction of the chair.

A A represent the rear legs of the chair, extending upward to form the supporting-back, the upper portion of said legs being connected by suitable slats A to form a rigid frame.

B B are the front legs, which extend upward and backward, and are connected at their upper ends by a stretcher or crossbar, d, which.

also serves to support the rear of the seat D. The front legs B B are also connected by one or more rounds, B, so as also to form a rigid frame. These legs are, at their lower ends, pivoted to the inner sides of the rockers (3 0, near the front ends thereof, while the lower ends of the legs A A are pivoted to the outer sides of said rockers, at a suitable point forward of their rear ends, said legs standing nearly vertical from the rockers.

To the outer side of each front leg B, at a, is pivoted a short arm, E, and the upper ends of said arms are connected by a stretcher, b, which also serves to support the front end of the seat D.

The stretcher d, which connects the upper ends of the front legs B B, lies, when the chair is opened, in rear of the rear legs A A, and the ends of said stretcher project sufficiently far beyond the legs B B to form stops against the rear sides of the rear legs, the said projecting ends of the stretcher d being cut or formed with shoulders d to lie flat against the back of the legs A.

A stretcher, 0, connecting the rear legs A A, serves as an abutment for the upper ends of the front legs B B, which, in connection with the rear stretcher d, serves to prevent too great an imfolding of the chair.

The seat D is preferably made flexible, and the entire chair may be made as plain or as ornamental and expensive as desired.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown one modification in the arrangement of the parts. In this case the arms E are prolonged backward from their connection with the front legs at a, and are also connected to the rear legs at e.

To fold my improved folding rocking-chair, it is only necessary to cause the front seatstretcher b to approach the rear seat-stretcher d as near as may be, and then turn the back frame forward, when the entire frame-work will readily assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim 'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination, in a folding rockingchair, of the rockers C O, the front legs B B, connected at their upper ends by a stretcher, d, and the rear legs A A, extended upward and connected together to form the back of the chair, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a folding rocking-chair, the combination of the front legs B B, provided with the rear stretcher d, and the back frame, provided with the stretcher c, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination of the front legs B B, provided with stretcher d, the arms E E, provided with stretcher b, and seat d, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination of the leg-frames A and B, rockers C,\seat D, and arms E, together with the crossing-slats and stretchers, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of July, A. D. 1877.

GEORGE MCALEER.

Witnesses:

Gno. E. SMITH, J. E. BRADFORD. 

